I'm a baal teshuva and want to learn more about your position.

10/25/06

Dear Rabbi,

My name is Ilan and I am 17 years old. My parents are from Israel or what you guys call Palestine. But anyways, my parents did not raise me religious, but after my trip to Israel in the summer I started thinking about the true meaning of life and what's man's purpose in life. I started learning a lot about Judaism and from then on I realized that I have to fulfill my purpose in life, which is to serve hashem. I am slowly, step by step becoming more and more religious. I will not jump straight into being a haredi, but I will slowly become one over time with the help of g-d.

Anyways I was always a pro Israel person, but there are points you guys make which I cannot ignore. You guys strongly believe since we have been exiled that we should not have a state and you guys detest how the Zionist movement is a secular movement. At the same time I am worried about Iran and what its president wants to do to Israel. I respect what you guys believe in and if I ever go to Manhattan I would be honored to meet one of you guys. I would like to even talk on the phone with one of you guys so you guys can explain your sde of the story. Your speech indicates animosity towards non-observant Jews, but as I told you I was not raised to be observant and it took me 17 years to realize that I needed to change.

Hateema tova and shana tova

Sincerely,
Ilan D.

Dear Ilan,

Hello and thank you for your interest. It is wonderful to hear that you are on your way back to Hashem and His Torah, and that you want to know the truth about this important issue that stands at the core of the Jewish faith. Once I had an interview with a someone writing an article for a magazine, and he asked me, "So is this - Zionism - the biggest problem today? What about assimilation and intermarriage?" I replied, "It's impossible to say which problem is greater. Yes, we are pained that there are so many ignorant Jews and we are losing them, but we are also pained if when they do return in teshuva, they are coming home to a Judaism that has been altered in is fundamental principles." I wish you success in your search for the truth, and I see you are already on the right track.

Our group is only interested in saving Jewish lives. We share your fear of what could arise in a conflict between the Zionists and Iran. The Zionist groups think the best way to keep safe is by making angry demonstrations against their leader and raising world opinion against him. We say that this will only provoke him more. The Iranian leader does not hate Jews, but even with those who really did hate Jews, provocation is the wrong course. We must remember history - Hitler originally did not plan to murder all the Jews, only to expel them from his country. But when the Zionists proclaimed a boycott against Germany, and then Stephen Wise, the most important American Reform Jewish leader, spoke at a rally and declared "war" on Hitler, his anger boiled and he was convinced that world Jewry was out to get him. The best way to escape from danger is the way Jews have used throughout the exile, following the example of our forefather Yaakov: bowing down, sending presents. See Bereshis chapter 32. So we hung signs telling Jews not to demonstrate against the Iranian leader when he came to New York recently.

Furthermore, I would like you to know that we oppose the ideology of Zionism, but we are not opposed to individual secular Jews, nor do we have any animosity towards them. They are our Jewish brothers and sisters, only they are ignorant of their faith, and must be taught. We want to reach out to them, and more than anything we are concerned for their safety. That's one of the main reasons why we consider this work so urgent. The Jewish people is in great danger because of Zionism. Do you think that some Arabs are anti-semitic because they grew up in czarist Russia or attended Hitler youth schools? They became anti-semitic because of their hatred for the state of Israel. They came to hate all Jews by association. We have a great obligation to clear the record and explain to them that zionism is not really Judaism. And we have a great obligation to see to it that the state of Israel closes down so that they won't have anything to hate, and then Jews can live peacefully and safely in the world.